Thread by @slack2thefuture

Now that the WGA has confirmed the possibility of a meeting, I really hope this is the start of genuine good faith negotiations by the studios.

But if they’re following the old unionbusting playbook, which they have so far, it’s possible this is a trap.🧵 deadline.com/2023/09/writer…

With the caveat that I have no inside info about this negotiation, here’s how this unionbusting trap works:

They’ve already done the simple version on 8/22: Set a meeting, get everyone’s hopes up, then dash them.

But there’s an even more insidious version of this trap.

Here’s how this unionbusting trap works:

The companies signal that they want to talk, and the instant the union engages in scheduling, the companies “prematurely” put out a press release about new talks — getting everyone’s hopes up.

But now that all the members have their hopes up, the companies suddenly try to impose preconditions: “Well, we’re really only willing to meet with you if you give up X or withdraw proposal Y.”

This forces the union to make a difficult choice: either give up an important demand just to get the meeting (essentially negotiating with yourself) — or refuse the meeting and try to hold an angry, confused, and disappointed membership together.

To be clear, I’m not saying that the AMPTP is doing this. I really hope they’re finally done playing games and ready to make a deal.

But unionbusting companies have pulled this trick before, and it has worked. So we need to be ready.

Union negotiations are all about power. For the union, our power comes from our solidarity. Through 136 days and counting, the WGA’s solidarity has been unwavering, despite numerous tricks and traps set by studios, streamers, their allies, and Molly Levinson.

If the studios are really ready to sit down and make a fair deal, it’s because we all held strong and kept our cool while they tried every trick in the unionbusting playbook.

If this is just another trick, we need to be ready to shake it off and keep holding strong.

I don’t know what comes next. I hope this warning is just a warning, and next week brings big moves in the right direction.

But whatever happens, we will face it together — in solidarity. #WGAStrong

One last thing: the traps described above are both ways of trying to manufacture leverage.

If the studios and streamers are trying to manufacture leverage, it’s because they have none.

At 136 days and counting, our power grows daily while they only get weaker. Hold the line.